Intelligence
by Twilight-Imp-626
Summary: Despite popular belief, Monkey D. Luffy is not stupid. A quick little one-shot. Mentions a little Zoro/Sanji and Luffy/Nami


_**Intelligence**_

_I have been having a little writer's block lately. My friend Izuru-chan and I got to hang out yesterday. I recently bought a few One Piece DVDs (Funimation dub, not 4Kids (may they burn in hell forever)), and we spent the day watching them. Late last night, inspiration hit me, so i decided to write this little one-shot. As I said in the description, there are quick mentions of ZoroxSanji and LuffyxNami._

_For fans of my others fics, I promise they are in the works right now, and will be up as soon as possible._

_**Disclaimer**__: I don't own One Piece. I wish I owned Sanji, Ace, and Zoro though *lets wild fantasy run wild in her mind*_

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Despite popular belief, Monkey D. Luffy is not stupid.

When he was younger, he would always see the flash of anger in Ace's eyes when the other children mentioned their fathers, or the flash of sadness when they mentioned their mothers. The younger boy would immediately tackle his older brother and challenge him to another ridiculous contest. Ace's negative emotions would instantly be replaced by his signature grin and thirst for competition.

Even now, Luffy can still see similar subtleties when he looks at his own crew members.

He notices that no matter how many times Sanji declares his undying love for Nami or Robin, it's Zoro that the cook watches out of the corner of his eye when he thinks no one is looking. Luffy sees the hint of affection on the blonde's face when he talks about Zeff- though he just refers to him as 'the old man'- and the burning ambition when he thinks All Blue.

Luffy sees how Zoro is always watching Sanji's back while they fight off other pirates or marines, yelling out warnings disguised as insults. He sees the deep-rooted determination when the swordsman is training, and the quick hint of sadness when he looks at Wado.

Luffy knows that Nami loves her treasure. He also knows that a good portion of her precious beli hoard gets stuffed into an envelope and mailed to Nojiko whenever they make landfall.

Robin has never mentioned wanting children to any of her crew members, but Luffy sees the way she readily teaches Chopper about the world outside of the Grand Line, all the while wearing a motherly smile and sporting a parent's patience.

And Luffy never misses the happiness in Chopper's little reindeer face when one of his friends does him even the smallest favor, or the wistfulness in his big brown eyes when he sees a snowflake or a cherry blossom.

Luffy notices the way Usopp's brow furrows when another pirate ship appears on the horizon. He sees the way his cannoneer tries to see the face of every attacker, still searching for his father after losing him those many years ago.

Luffy also notices that- even when they are fighting amongst themselves- they are all happy. Happy to be together. Happy to be crewmates. Happy to be friends. Happy to be family.

Of course, Luffy is also aware of their suffering. They have tough times, as everyone does at some point in their life. But whenever the skies are at their darkest, and the seas are at their stormiest, the captain of the Strawhat Pirates is at his brightest and bubbliest. His smiles are wider, and his laughter is louder. His antics come more often, and his sense of adventure is stronger than ever. And maybe this is why people call him an idiot, and laugh at him. But only those who don't know him say this and actually believe it. Because when his crew is feeling down, Luffy's love of life infects all of them, bringing them out of their funk and reminding them that they still have their family, even if it is a dysfunctional family. Even if their lives are on the line, their rubber captain continues to act as if all is right with the world.

Luffy does this because, despite popular belief, he is not stupid.

But as the Going Merry's navigator watches him creating mischief, there is a softness in her eyes, a fluttering in her stomach, a quickening of her pulse, and a gentle tone in her voice as she calls his name, all of which Luffy misses completely.

And she thinks that, while he may not be stupid, he isn't exactly smart either.


End file.
